Popularity Ch. 5

*Pic is of Mason*

"Hi babe." Mason said sliding into the seat next to me. It had been about three weeks since Kayla pulled her little prank on me; it was also the day of the Fall Ball. There were four nominees for princess, me, Aaliyah, Mandy, and Kayla. Everyone said it was between me and Kayla.

"Hey." I said distracted. I'd been in a daze for the past two days. I was so nervous I couldn't eat or sleep. Thankfully Mason understood that and didn't bug me about it. God, I loved him!

"Hey Rachel. How are you?" Kayla said with obviously fake friendliness. I still didn't get how people could like Kayla more than me.

"I'm good. But you look nervous." I said with the same level of fakeness as her.

"Oh no, I'm not nervous. I've already got my victory speech ready and everything." she said condescendingly. Everyone in the room was staring at us. I could barely control myself and I swear if Mason hadn't put his hand on my shoulder I would've ripped her bleach blonde hair of her stupid head.

"Really? But how is that gonna help you when you lose?" I said smiling up at her while she grimaced down at me. She would've said more but our teacher walked in and she just sat down glaring at me for the next forty minutes.

"Hey Rachel." Aaliyah said linking arms with me. Ever since she stuck up for me, Aaliyah and I had been inseparable. Apparently her being dumb was just an act, God knows why she would want people to think she's stupid, but she did.

"Hey." I said. A few minutes later she stopped dead in her tracks. I almost tripped and landed on my face.

"Aaliyah, what gives?" I said looking at her. She had this look of pure shock on her face, she simply pointed and I followed her gaze and saw something shocking. Kayla was flirting with Mason to the tenth degree and he was just giving her this look that said 'what are you doing?' like he didn't know what to do.

"Kayla! What do you think you're doing!?!" I shouted running up to them. I was giving Kayla a look that said 'I want you to die!’ Everyone in the hall was staring open mouthed at us including the teachers.

"Just flirting." she said as she turned around and started walking to her next class and I couldn't help it.

I grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled as hard as I could; she screamed and cursed at me until she decided to grab my hair. I slammed her against the lockers and her fist connected with my mouth, I slapped her across the face and she bit me. We were slamming each other against the lockers until she pushed me down to the ground and I dragged her with me. We ended up kicking, punching and screaming at each other on the floor. A huge crowd had gathered around us, students and teachers alike. The teachers didn't know what to do, they obviously wanted to break it up but Kayla and I were fighting so viciously they probably thought they would lose a hand if they helped. The students had mixed reactions, some were placing bets, some were running from the scene, and some were cheering like they were watching Wrestle Smack Down.

"Break it up, break it up." said the principal and vice-principal. The principal, Mr. Griffin, grabbed me, and the vice-principal, Mrs. Price, grabbed Kayla. Most of the student booed when they did this, Kayla and I were struggling against the teachers. When the crowd scattered Mr. Griffin instructed us to clean up then go to his office. We went to separate bathrooms Aaliyah escorted me and Mandy escorted the Devil.

"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to do that?" Aaliyah said when we got to the bathroom.

"I have to admit it felt pretty good." I said dabbing at the blood coming from my nose. "She had it coming though."

"She's had it coming since the first grade." she said touching up her lip gloss. I hadn't known her that long, but since she was Kayla there was no possible way to deny that. After a short pause, I heard someone coming. Aaliyah and I both stared at Mandy as she looked at me like she was afraid I would attack her too.

"Umm... we ran out of paper towels." she said slowly reaching for the paper towels. She was obviously nervous, it was either because I'd hurt Kayla more than I thought and she was about to die (YEAH), or she was afraid of me. As she was leaving she turned around and said. "Thanks for doing that. I've wanted to do that to Kayla for a long time, but I never had the guts, so thanks."

"This has been a very weird day." I commented after she was gone.

When I was finished cleaning myself up I headed for the principal’s office. I walked in and saw Kayla already there, sitting in one of two leather chairs facing the huge mahogany desk. I sat down without a word and Mr. Griffin started lecturing us.

"Miss. Wood, I'd like to hear your side of the story." he said to Kayla after his twenty minute speech about how physical violence is frowned upon.

"Well," she said in an innocent voice that made me want to puke. "I was just talking to Mason and Rachel came over and grabbed my hair, so I had to defend myself. Thank God you came, Mr. Griffin." she said batting her eyelashes. "She could've killed me." I rolled my eyes and Mr. Griffin raised an eyebrow, obviously not buying it.

"Miss. Summers, what do you think happened?" he asked turning to me.

"I was going to my next class and I saw Kayla flirting with my boyfriend. I walked up to her and asked 'what are you doing?' she said 'just flirting' and she started to walk away. I got so mad I pulled her hair, she started cursing at me and pulled my hair, and that's pretty much how it happened." I said.

"Interesting." Mr. Griffin said after a long pause. "I've come up with your punishment." Both Kayla and I looked at him expectantly. "Neither of you will be going to the Fall Ball." Kayla looked triumphant until she realized that he'd said neither instead of Rachel.

"Umm... did you just say that neither of us will go to the fall ball?" she said in a voice that was almost as shocked as the voice she'd used when she found out Mason and I were going out.

"Yes, because, though Rachel was the instigator, you didn't have to participate. I would have laughed so hard had it not been for the fact that I was banned from the Fall Ball.

When I left the room I saw my mom waiting outside of the office. I braced myself for a lecture.

"You know, I never thought I'd be coming here for you. I always thought that once Avery was out of school, I wouldn't have to worry about anymore suspensions or expulsions." she said as we walked to the car.

"Mom, for the past three weeks, she's been trying to piss me off and when she was flirting with Mason-" my mom cut me off.

"She was flirting with Mason?" I simply nodded. "Well, then you had every right to beat her up." she said. See, that's one of the reasons why my mom is awesome. She's thirty something on the outside, but one the inside, she's still 17.

"So, I got suspended?" I asked.

"Yep, and the secretary said you were getting another punishment what is it?" she asked looking straight ahead.

"I'm not allowed to go to the Fall Ball." I said in a depressed voice as we pulled into our drive way. I really had to text Aaliyah and Mason. They would be so bummed.

"He did not." my mom gasped. I nodded sullenly.

As I walked into my house I heard applause. I followed the sound and saw Avery, her boyfriend Ian, and her best friend Adam clapping.

"Congrats on your first suspension." said my sister. I actually started laughing when I heard this. Avery was the queen of suspension, expulsion, and things of that nature. She always said that if I didn't get a suspended or expelled she would change her last name and pretend she didn't know me.

"Thanks."I said. I walked upstairs and collapsed onto my bed and that’s when it hit me and I realized how I sneak into the Fall Ball